Funk Fest adds extra day; Bobby Brown proposed to girlfriend Friday

Hip-hop artist Slick Rick hit the stage at Metropolitan
park Saturday for Funk Fest. This was the fifth anniversary of the outdoor music festival in Jacksonville, which also featured Maze, Frankie Beverly, Bobby Brown, SWV, Babyface and others. LOOK FOR VIDEO ON JACKSONVILLE.COM.

People danced and sang along to girl group SWV, rapper Slick Rick and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, the group so popular it closes out the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans every year.

During the heat of the day, people kept cool under hats or umbrellas, fanned themselves with corporate giveaways and blotted the sweat away with hand towels as the hosts on stage implored them to drink plenty of water.

Pronda Drayton, who lives on the Westside, had arrived when the gates opened at 3 p.m.

“You have to get in early to get up front and get a good seat,” she said.

For her efforts, she was able to find space for her chair and a friend’s only two rows behind the V.I.P. section. A couple hours later, Tonya Friend of the Northside had joined her. The two sat together on a bench people-watching and snacking on barbecue, fresh conch salad and fruity drinks.

Friend said she had come up with her own method to beat the heat.

“Don’t think about it,” she said. “That’s what I do.”

The Funk Fest arrives in Jacksonville every May, one of four stops in the Southeast for the tour. This year the Jacksonville event was expanded to two days to allow for more acts.

Bobby Brown provided the highlight for Friday night, proposing to his girlfriend on stage as the crowd cheered him on.

Paul and Carol Pearsall, who lives on the Westside, said the proposal was shocking, as Brown got down on one knee to ask for his girlfriend’s hand in marriage.

Stroman wore a multi-colored hat that looked like a mini-umbrella to shade herself from the sun. She said she enjoyed the atmosphere at the concert.

“Everybody is so friendly,” she said. “And they have all the nice food and drinks.”

Ronald McBride traveled from West Palm Beach with a friend, meeting up in Jacksonville with another buddy from Tallahassee. She said he was impressed by the lineup of acts and decided to make the trip to attend both nights of the Funk Fest.

“The performances were great,” he said. “The weather was great once the sun went down.”